Swinging and rotating reflecting device for motor vehicles



June 7, 1949. v, v, PRICE 472,438

SWINGING AND ROTATING REFLECTING' DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed April 11, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l i g; i q

June 7, 1949. v. v. PRICE 294729433 SWINGING AND ROTATING REFLECTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed April 11, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v. v. PRICE 2,7,43 SWINGIN N OTA'IING REFL ING DEVI F MOTOR VEHICL Filed April 11, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 3 June 9 Illlllllllllllllllllllm Patented June 7, 1949 UNITED: STATES; PATENT QFElCEp.

SWINGING ANBROTA'IING'REFIJEGTING DEVIGE FGR MOTOR VEHICLES This .inventionrrelates to a reflecting: device for.

motorzvehicles,-.=the:principal. object of the invention-ibe'ingto .providemeans whereby thedriver of -a .vehicle willibe:warned :of: the approach of other-vehicles on intersectingroads and on curves.

To'this end, the inventiontcomprises a bracket mounted.atcthefront'of the hood, the bracket Figure-2 =is1a top-plan view of the structure showninrFiguresl. 2

Figure 3 is a topplan'yiew .ofuthedevicezshown' in operative positions;

Figurer4 is ;a transverse vertical sectionztaken along. thewline 4-..4 of Figure 3. 7

Figure'5 and Figure '6 are elevations-of a pair-of:

camsaforaoperatingthe-mirrors.

Figure-7 is :a horizontal section taken-through: the axis-tof'the swingingibracketsr Figure 8 is a .verticalrsection takena1ong; the

line .88 *of Figure 7, with the bracket-in-re y tracted position:

Figure-9 is :..a .section similar :to Figure 8,'but. showing the bracket in extended position:

Figure'slo is .a horizontalzsection taken along: the'lin'e- I0.-1-'-l0 of Figure 4.

Figure 11: is=a horizontal section through the operatinglever with which the driver oia vehicle may operate the reflecting device.

The-new and; improvednreflecting means com,-

prises -a bifurcated bracket adaptedto bepfixed to the=top. portion-f the frontaofranautomobile hoodras showntmost-clearlyi'; in: Figures; 1, 2, land I 3. Thebracket itisapertured-to receive a horia zontalrpivot-pin] 2' A curVedaarm-M is:mountedz;;

for. swinging movement on the pivotpin .1! 2, so:

that in 'retracted positionit will lie adjacentntheanfront of the hood and in operative positionrcanbezezswung: about :wthe:.horizontaltpivot 1;! 2;"toijproj ect:

above the top of the hood, as shown in Figure 1. The pivoted end of the-arm M. is received within an. 1 appropriate .slotg in the bracket 50, and ,is;;; formed-with; a projection l5; havingtwo. bearing, The bracket--- I 0- is provided withftwo-adi'usting screws 18 and l9,1one adjust ingscrew is being adapted to engage the bearing v surface 4.6 of::the arm I4 when the latter isin re.--.- tracted position, .and theadjusting screw l9 being adaptedtozbear against the surface of the arm M ifna-ther uprightiposition. It will be seen, .there.-'.- foraaitha-t theadjusting screws l8. and i9 actas... stopsrtoriimitthe-travel of the arms-i 4.

Thepivotedaendofthearm M is rounded, and; is further provided with a substantially, annular N groovezit. The-central portion of the arm-J4 is provided-with a longitudinal passageway 2|, and a cable 22 is looped around the annular groove andthrough:the-passageway 2i inthe arm M, for a purpose-to be described more fully hereinafter,

Thebirfurcated bracket It may be secured to. the:;hood:by means ofbolts 25 and nuts 25, the bolts-.25 passing through suitableapertures in the hood. The;:h0od has .;an additional aperture .throughwhicha longtube 26 is adapted to pass.

Thev anterior-end. 21 of thetube Ztisfastened to thebracket. Ill-,andthe other end 28 of the tube is, gripped-tea hollow sleeve 29, the rearend-ot, whibhis securedtd a union .Sflthat passes through. the dashboard, 3 Lofthemotor. vehicle. The union 30bears, aga inst the ,rear of the dashboard 3 I, and. a threadedxnut:32,.is screwed on the front portion of :the union-.3llzto. fix. ltain position with relation to .thedashboard 3 If.

The bracket-1H3v is also provided with a passage, way-33nthat is tangential to the annular groove 20 on.the-,piyoted-end ofuthe arm l4, as indicated mostplearlyin Figure 8 of-the drawings.

The cable-22 extends through the passageway, 2 l 'of =the.-arm;l4,-around theannular groove. 20, through the passageway 33 in the-bracket... l 0, Y and through the tube-2E. The rear end 35 of the cab1e;22; isseeurelyiastened to a holder. 36.,thatg is adaptedtoslidewithin the sleeveZS and pro-.- jects;.-bey,ond.--the dashboard at. A knob 31 is fastenedto'. theholder, 36. by threads oro-ther... similar.means.;-.,It will be apparent that a pull 011:1": the knobfil-iwill be communicated to the cable 22..

The frontendot the cable 22 ,is connectedwith an actuator-wrodttnthat servesto swing two 1111117,. rors'ttanct it into; and out of operative pqsition These mirrors, Al"; and 42wmay-. -be;made,1of;;any... suitable material, preferably highly polished mfiia1;f -1 The: endof: thearm el iis recessed. to'

inner sleeve 44 and an outer sleeve 45 are adapted to nest within the recess 43. The dimensions of the members 43, 44, and 45 are such that any one may turn on their common axis with respect to the others. Axial movement is prevented by annular shoulders 46 and 41 of the sleeves 44 and 45 that fit in cooperating grooves in their contiguous surfaces of the sleeve 45 and the recess 43, respectively.

The mirror 4| may be made integral with the sleeve 44, as shown in Figure 4, or may be made separately therefrom and affixed thereto. The mirror 42 is similarly fastened to or formed with the sleeve 45.

The sleeve 44 is provided with a diametral slot 50 that extends clear through the sleeve 44 from one surface to the other. This slot 55 is given a twist, so that the surface appears to be helical, as shown more clearly in Figure 5. Of course, any

lateral cross-section of the sleeve 44 will show the slot 50 to be straight, as is evident in Figure 10. The sleeve 45 is provided with an exact:

similar but opposed slot 5| An actuator pin 52 is secured to the end of the actuator rod by means of a lock nut 53. The pin 52 includes opposite ends extending radially of the rod 40 which are designed to fit in the slots and 5| of the sleeves 44 and 45 and it will be observed that since the sleeves 44 and 45 are prevented from axial movement by means of the shoulders 46 and 41, any axial movement of the pin 52 will result in opposite rotation of the sleeves 44 and 45. A coil spring 55 is positioned between the pin 52 and the bottom of the recess 43, as shown in Figure 4, and an adjusting screw 51 is provided for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the spring 54. The operation of the device is as follows:

When the operator pulls on the knob 31, the cable 22 will exert a tension on the arm M to swing the latter about the horizontal pivot l2. The arm M will swing clockwise, as viewed in Figure 1, until the bearing surface I! abuts the screw it, at which time the arm M will be in an upright position. The operator then continues his tension on the cable 22, against the force of the spring 56, thereby pulling the pin 52 downwardly as viewed in Figure 4. The pin 52 will ride in the grooves 50 and 5| in the sleeves 44 and 45, respectively, and thereby rotate the said sleeves 44 and 45. The grooves 50 and 5| are opposed, so that the sleeves 44 and 45 will simultaneously rotate in opposite directions. As this happens the mirrors 4| and 42 will unfold to vary the angles of reflection thereof, their final position bein determined by the extent of the tension on the cable 22. Accordingly, the operator can set the mirrors 4| and 42 to serve as rear view mirrors or as intersection mirrors, the angles of reflection depending on the angles of intersection of intersecting streets or roads.

The adjustim screw 5? may adjust the spring 56 to exactly compensate for the forces of friction, so that the mirrors 4| and 42 will stay in any position to which they are pulled by means of the knob 37. Alternatively, the force of the spring 56 may be such as to fold up the mirrors 4| and 42 as soon as the knob 3'! is released. In any event, as soon as the mirrors 4| and 42 have been folded, a push on the knob 31 will be communicated by means of the cable 22 to swing the arm I 4 downwardly against the hood.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described, comprising an arm adapted to be hinged to the front of a vehicle, a cylindrical recess in the end of the said arm, an inner cylindrical sleeve and an outer cylindrical sleeve adapted to nest within the said recess, each of the said sleeves being provided with a twisted diametral groove, the groove of one sleeve being in an opposed direction to that of the other sleeve, a diametral pin adapted to ride in the grooves of both sleeves, a mirror fixed to each sleeve, and a cable connected to the said pin, whereby a pull on the cable will swing the arm about its pivot and also move the pin to rotate the sleeves and their respective mirrors.

2. A device of the character described, compris- P ing a bracket adapted to be fixed to the front of a vehicle, a horizontal pivot carried by the said bracket, an arm pivoted at one end to the said pivot, means for fixing the limits of travel of the said arm with respect to the said bracket, a cylindrical recess in the free end of the arm, an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve nesting within the said cylindrical recess, a twisted diametral groove in each sleeve, the groove in one sleeve opposing that of the other sleeve, means for constraining the sleeves to rotary motion in the said recess, pin adapted to ride in the said diametral grooves, a cable attached to the said pin, a pair of mirrors fixed to the said sleeves, and means under control of the driver of the vehicle for exerting tension on the cable to raise the arm and to rotate the sleeves and their respective mirrors in opposed directions to bring the mirrors into view, and to exert pressure on the said cable to move the mirrors and the arm in opposite directions.

3. A, reflecting device for motor vehicles, com prising an arm, means pivotally mounting said arm on a vehicle for pivotal movement to and from an operative and an inoperative position, said arm including a free end formed with an axially-disposed cylindrical recess therein, a sleeve rotatable within said recess relative to said arm, a mirror fixed to said sleeve, means operable by an occupant of said vehicle for swinging said arm to and from said operative and inoperative positions, and said means including means for rotating said sleeve relative to said arm to vary the angle of reflection of said mirror.

4. A reflecting device for motor vehicles, comprising an arm, means pivotally mounting said arm to a forward portion of a vehicle for movement to and. from an operative and an inoperative position, said arm including a free end formed with an axially-disposed cylindrical recess therein, an inner cylindrical sleeve and an outer cylindrical sleeve nested within said recess for pivotal movement relative thereto and to each other, each of said sleeves being formed with a helical diametral groove, the groove of one sleeve being a left-hand helix and that of the other sleeve being a right-hand helix, a diametral pin adapted to ride in said grooves of both sleeves, a mirror fixed to each sleeve, a cable connected to said pin, said cable including a free end disposed inwardly of said vehicle for actuation in both axial directions by an occupant of said vehicle, and said cable being operative upon axial movement thereof to swing said arm pivotally into and out of said operative position, and said cable comprising means for moving said pin axially of said arm whereby to rotate said sleeves and said mirrors relative to said arm in opposite directions to simultaneously vary the angles of reflection of both mirrors.

5. A reflecting device for motor vehicles, comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to a forward portion of a vehicle, an arm including an inner end, a pivot pivotally connecting said inner end of said arm to said bracket for pivotal movement relative thereto into and out of an operative and an inoperative position, said arm including a free end, a pair of folding mirrors, separate pivot means individually pivoting said mirrors to said free end of said arm for individual pivotal movement relative thereto and to each other about the axis of said arm substantially at right angles to said first pivot whereby to vary the angle of reflection of said mirrors, said arm and bracket being formed with a continuous passageway therethrough, a cable extensible through said passageway, said cable including a free end disposed inwardly of said vehicle for actuation axially in both directions by an occupant of said vehicle, and axial movement of said cable being operative to swing said arm into and out of said operative position and also to pivotally move said mirrors relative to said arm to vary the angles of reflection thereof.

VORIS V.- PRICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

